The Scottish Baccalaureate in Science

The Scottish Baccalaureate in Science has been designed to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for candidates in fifth and sixth year of secondary school.

It is based on a coherent group of subjects at Higher and Advanced Higher level with the addition of the Interdisciplinary Project, which offers added breadth and value and helps to equip the candidate with the generic skills, attitudes and confidence necessary to make the transition into Higher Education and/or employment.

Baccalaureates News

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Mandatory Components

The Scottish Science Baccalaureate requires two, different eligible Science Courses, at least one of which must be at Advanced Higher level.

The mandatory components of the Science Baccalaureate are:

Scottish Science Baccalaureate mandatory components

Interdisciplinary Project Unit

Advanced Higher

SCQF level 7

(16 SCQF points)

2 eligible Courses

Advanced Higher

SCQF level 7

(64 SCQF points)

1 eligible Course

Higher

SCQF level 6

(24 SCQF points)

One of the above Courses must be Mathematics* (or Mathematics of Mechanics* or Statistics*) and this may be at Higher or Advanced Higher level.

Components do not have to be completed in the same academic year, for example a Higher course completed in S5 can contribute.

The Interdisciplinary Project Unit will be graded A, B or C.

Entry

Candidates should be entered for both the Baccalaureate award and for the Interdisciplinary Project. The codes are as follows:

Science Baccalaureate

Baccalaureate award – G9CX 47

Interdisciplinary Project – F785 47

Criteria for award of Pass and Distinction

Criteria for award of Distinction

The Scottish Science Baccalaureate with Distinction will be awarded to candidates who achieve:

Grade A in one Advanced Higher eligible Course

Grade A in one other component

Grade B or above in all other components

Criteria for award of Pass

Candidates who achieve at least Grade C in all mandatory components and who do not meet the criteria for Distinction will be awarded a Pass in the Scottish Science Baccalaureate.

Eligible Courses

Candidates may choose two Core courses, or one Core course and one Broadening course from the following lists:

Core courses

Broadening courses

Biology*

Computing Science*

Chemistry*

Design and Manufacture*

Environmental Science

Engineering Science*

Human Biology

Graphic Communication*

Physics*

Geography*

Psychology

* Currently available at Advanced Higher level

Eligible courses have been updated in line with the Higher and Advanced Higher courses available from August 2015. Higher and Advanced Higher Courses that were previously available and contributed to the Scottish Baccalaureate award will still contribute.

SQA's course catalogue is kept under constant review. New courses may be added, or existing courses may be deleted or replaced

Assessment Support Packs

Science Assessment Support Pack

The exemplars in Section 9 were written prior to the delivery of the Baccalaureate. You can now see real examples of candidates' Interdisciplinary Projects with External Verifier commentaries in the Exemplar section below.